BHSU Center for American Indian Studies sponsors the First Annual American Indian College Scholarship gala

BHSU Center for American Indian Studies will host its First Annual American Indian College Scholarship Gala Saturday, Oct. 20, at the Belle Luce Ballroom. The event, which will raise funds for American Indian scholarships at BHSU, will feature an exhibition of native culture, including dancing, music, art, and more.

The Center for American Indian Studies (CAIS) at Black Hills State University is sponsoring the First Annual American Indian College Scholarship Gala Saturday, Oct. 20, at the Belle Luce Ballroom above Roma’s Ristorante. Reception begins at 5, with dinner following at 7:30 p.m.

The event will raise funds for American Indian scholarships and includes an exhibition of native culture, including dancing, music, and art, as well as a Native American banquet. Pass Creek Singers from Allen will be featured as the drum group. An artist’s reception and Retrospective of John Gritts, who will speak at the event, will take place early in the evening. Gritts is a former long-term employee of BHSU and currently serves as director of admissions, records, and enrollment at the Institute for American Indian Art in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Money raised at the event will be matched by a grant from the American Indian Education Foundation (AIEF), a program of the National Relief Charities with offices in Albuquerque and Rapid City. The American Indian College Student Scholarship Challenge Grant is three-year grant. The grant will match the first $10,000 raised in new monies and contribute up to an additional $10,000 for total cash raised up to $50,000. All funds will be distributed as scholarships for American Indian and Alaska Native college students.

John Glover, director of the CAIS, says that “the center has long wished to hold a celebration such as this which offers people an opportunity to enjoy native culture while providing an excellent way to raise funds for Indian college scholarships.”

Sponsors include CAIS, the Inter-Tribal Bison Cooperative, AIEF, and Native Educational Endeavors. For more information, contact John Glover at JohnGlover@bhsu.edu or at 642-6578.

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